If you are having a wine and cheese night you need to add these to the menu. You won’t be sorry.

1 baguette

olive oil (to brush on the sliced baguette)

1 cup cabernet sauvignon

1 cup sugar

2 cups Mission Figs

½ cup Point Reyes Blue Cheese (can be hard to find, but this is by far the best kind to use for this recipe)

½ cup Mascarpone

Prepare the Baguette

Slice a baguette, brush on olive oil and toast for about 12 minutes at 350 until lightly golden (set aside)

Prepare the Fig

1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon

1 cup sugar

2 cups black mission figs, chop and cut off the little stem

In heavy saucepan simmer red wine, sugar and figs on low flame for about 50 minutes.  Stir often to prevent burning.  The figs should become tender and the liquid thickened.  Let the mixture cool, cover and refrigerate. (You can keep this part for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.)

Prepare the Cheese

1/2 cup point Reyes blue cheese

1/2 cup mascarpone

In a food processor puree both cheeses until smooth.

*I have also added cream cheese to the mixture to stretch the cheese portion. Also, in a pinch, I have used jarred fig preserve. It’s also good, but not as good as cooking the figs in wine.

Assemble the Appetizer

Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of cheese mixture on each crostini. Top with 1/2

teaspoon of fig preserve.

Enjoy!